The Best of Friends
by leahmaree1992
Summary: Trials and tribulations test a friendship...[very short summary I know, but click to read more!]
1. Part 1

**The Best of Friends**

**_Trials and tribulations test a friendship..._**

Started on: 13.apr.2007  
Finished on:

**Disclaimer: **Anything you recognise belongs to Southern Star (and I guess still) Channel Seven. Anything you don't recognise belongs to me.  
**Song Credits: **'Best Friends' by Angela Via.  
**Dedication: **To Sam! Who always comments on my fics (well, most of them :P), and the one who doesn't get frustrated or sick of my constant e-mails (LOL!!)  
**Author's Note: **I was sitting down eating breakfast this morning and came up with the idea to write a fic based on...well, I'm not going to tell you! I've read a short unfinished fic based on the possibility of this couple, and to be honest, I quite liked the idea...so, this fic goes through the trials and tribulations of these two best friends (both Heelers, of course!) and how the strength and friendship from each other forms...okay, I'm saying too much now! A bientôt et apprécier!

_**Part 1**_

Most of the time, you can be strong. You can have radiating strength; you feel like you can save the world. You feel like you have everything; a job, a wife, a place to live, an income, food to eat, clothes to wear, maybe a little kiddy or two down the track.

But when one or two of those things get pulled away, it feels like a part of your heart gets ripped out as well. When part of your dreams gets dissolved, that part of hope gets dissolved too.

I hopped in the car, trying to get my eyes focused on the papers I had in front of me. I couldn't believe what I was reading. How could this happen, I didn't know. I thought this was a 'stage', but obviously I was wrong. I could've went to Chris and asked for a six-pack to numb this pain, but something stopped me from doing just that, and instead the hands that were controlling the car took me another way.

I went up to the door and knocked on it. I heard a voice inside, and soon that voice was formed into a body as she opened the door. I tried holding back the tears, and I did; just. I just wanted to scream, but I couldn't, just yet.

"Wayne?" the voice said. I stood there, still numb, not registering to anything.

"Wayne…are you alright? You look like a truck has run you over!" said the angel voice with a light-hearted laugh. I wanted to smile to…I was at my best friend's house, wasn't I?

"Mags…can I…can I come in?" I finally managed to say. I felt a tear run down my cheek. I couldn't stop them now.

"Sure…sure, come on in," the angel voice said. She didn't even make me take my shoes off, something she would've normally asked me to do and I would've done in an instant. Instead, she just puts her arm around me and ushers me inside. I sat down and put my head in my hands.

"Mags…" I start saying, but a lump forms in my throat and the tears slowly start squeezing themselves out of my eyes.

"Shh…it's okay, you don't need to say anything just yet…" that calming, reassuring voice says. She takes my head in her arms and I lay there on her shoulder and let the pain resound out like ice-water breaking. My sobs are long and dragged; I can't keep them in any longer.

_Anytime you need a friend, you can count on me;  
Anytime you're having doubts, you know I will believe.  
Even through thick and thin, no matter where or when;  
On me you can depend -  
We are best friends._

Times goes by, and we are still there; my head on her shoulder, my tears running down and making her shirt damp. _I should be the one doing that! I should be the one taking her head on my shoulder and letting her dampen my shirt! Why am I the weakened one? _My thoughts run wild. But no matter how much I try to let them convince me, my broken heart covers them and I continue to cry.


	2. Part 2

**The Best of Friends**

**_Trials and tribulations test a friendship._**

**Author's Note:** Okay les enfants, here is part 2! Apprécier! Thanks to Sam, James6 and Caterina from the _Blue Forum _who commented on part 1!  
**Sam **- Wow, that's so awesome Leah! It's great to read something a little different and that's exactly what this is. Great work.  
**James6 - **Oooh... I like it Leah :) Want more!  
**Caterina** - Looks interesting...keep it coming!!

_**Part 2**_

Eventually I look up. Mags' angelic face now had pain etched into it. It was like she had absorbed my pain to be hers.

"Maggie…" I say. Her eyes open and she looks at me, still holding my hand.

"Wayne…what's wrong?"

I struggle to not let another tear fall. _How do I say this? _I think to myself. I decide to just show her. I pull the now crumpled and slightly torn yellow envelope from my pocket and shove it into her free hand. She lets go of my hand and slowly looks at the envelope. I hear her murmuring under her breath.

"Wayne Patterson…Mt. Thomas Police Station Watch House…" She's reading the address on the envelope. She looks at the back.

"Roz?" She looks up at me, question marks in her eyes. I'm looking down at the floor. I can't bear this anymore. But I know I can't just run out of the house right now. She needs to know, and I need to explain.

She opens the envelope, and pulls out the contents. She gasps, and her hand reaches her mouth in shock. _I knew how hard this would be! I shouldn't have trusted that she wouldn't feel the pain too! _

"Certificate of Divorce?" she questions, looking at me.

I shrug. "I don't understand myself, Maggie…I thought Roz just needed some time alone…how wrong was I." I was shivering with fear, and anger building up inside.

"Oh Wayne…" She reached out to take me in her arms again, but instead I jump up, my hands clenched at my sides.

_Right by your side,  
If you need my strength, you can tell me;  
There's nothing to hide_

"How can she do this!? Mags, how can she do this?? We were in love! Well, I thought we were anyway…we were happy, in love, a child or two was in our plans…plans to buy a house and raise a family! Mags, WHY IS SHE DOING THIS??" I scream. My eyes look coldly in hers, and I thought I saw a look of fright pass through them. She just looked back at me.

"I don't know Wayne…I feel just as much hurt as you, so don't start screaming at me 'cause IT ISN'T MY FAULT! Roz was meant to be my friend too, but friends don't walk away from friends."

I fall to my knees and put my head in my hands again.

"I just don't know what to do Mags…she's got the papers filled out and everything! All they need is my signature…I don't know whether I can do this or not! She was supposed to be my wife, my only wife! Now she's walking away from me…"

She comes around and puts her arms around me again.

"It's okay Wayne…it all takes time…let's not rush this, okay?"

_Whenever there is something that is trying to knock you down,  
Remember you can call me and we'll get your feet on solid ground._


	3. Part 3

**The Best of Friends  
**

**_Trials and tribulations test a frienship._**

**Author's Note:** Okay les enfants (especially, you, Sam!) here is part 3! I have a feeling that what happens will surprise you! Does Wayne sign the papers? Maybe Maggie and Wayne have a passionate kiss? Roz has an affair? Wayne does something drastic? The guesses could be endless! But, here is part 3, so once again, apprécier! (and in case it's bugging you to find out what that means, it's French for "enjoy!") And also thanks to Sam and Caterina from the _Blue Forum _for their comments on part 2!  
**Sam **- Did I enjoy it? Of course I enjoyed it! I loved it!  
**Caterina **- J'adore le livre!!! (Ok, so my French may be a little rusty) This is getting more interesting by the second, I'm curious to find out what the relationship between Maggie and Wayne is!

_**Part 3**_

A month passes. I still haven't signed those papers. _How can I, how can I Roz? How am I supposed the sign the papers that will break that bond between me and my truest love?_ Thank the Lord for Mags.

The phone rang that afternoon. It was a change to have a distraction instead of coming home, making dinner and watching television.

"Hello?" I say into the phone, finishing off an apple. That apple was never finished. I dropped the phone, and fell to the floor, just trying to absorb it in. A minute passes before I realize the phone is still off the hook. I numbly pick it up. "I'll call you back soon," I say, before putting it back on the hook. Just like a month ago, I hopped into the car, knowing that I could've went to Chris and asked for a six-pack to numb this pain, but something stopped me from doing just that, and instead the hands that were controlling the car took me another way.

I found myself standing at the door of the angel's house, and a replay motion goes over again. Except this time, the news is different.

Lifting my head from my shoulder, I try and quickly think of what I'm going to say. How do I break this news?

"Mags…" She looks at me with those blue, blue eyes.

"Umm…Roz…Roz and…" She takes my hand again.

"Roz and you divorced today?" she says suddenly. Oh, how I wish it was that simple. Divorcing Roz would've been easier than what I have to do now.

"No…no…umm…Roz and…a friend…"

"Roz and friend got together?" I laugh. What a good guesser. Any of these things she is guessing would be so much easier to absorb than what I have to absorb at the moment.

"No…Roz…Roz and a friend, they…they were…they were killed today…" I managed to say in one slightly audible sentence.

I look up to see what reaction Maggie has. Her face crumbles at the sound of those words. So does mine. Roz…my beautiful Roz is dead…but that's not all.

"She…she…it appears Roz…committed suicide Mags…"

The tears roll down our faces now, and we take each other in each other's arms.

_You understand the battles we must go through every day,  
If ever I am lost, I know that you will help me find my way.  
I still remember all those times when I was feeling low,  
You picked me up and said there's something I think you should know…_

"Roseanne…Roseanne Elizabeth MacGregor-Patterson was a one of a kind woman. She was caring, funny, smart, always wanting to achieve something, and refused to be wrong. She loved being herself and making a point."

The tears still were waiting to burst behind out from behind my eyes, and the lump in my throat was getting bigger and bigger. But I couldn't break down. Not at her funeral…well, not just yet. Not in front of all these people…Roz's parents, her friends, her extended family consisting of grandparents, cousins and their families…I never knew Roz knew this many people.

I realized I had stopped. I looked down from the podium to the front row, where Maggie sat. She gave me a reassuring nod and I went on. Before I knew it, I was finished.

"Roz…we will miss you and always remember you…goodbye…and may you rest in peace." A sigh of relief that I didn't know I was holding in escaped from me. And I realized that this stage of my life was over. I could now move on. And throw those divorce papers in the bin.


	4. Part 4

**The Best of Friends  
**

**_Trials and tribulations test a friendship._**

**Author's Note:** I'm glad you guys are liking it! It's quite obvious in the show that Wayne and Roz have almost completed the divorce process when Wayne gets killed, but in this story, I was considering making it that Wayne divorced Roz, then the story plan I've got in mind would go on. But then I tried imagining the reaction and feelings, and I could sense a storyline of guilt and anger...and I eventually wanted this story to go on happily. So, I changed it to Roz wanted a divorce, and Wayne didn't want to do it, but he didn't have to do it because she ended up killing herself...pretty drastic, I know!  
But here is part 4 - do Wayne and Maggie get together? Does Wayne have a fight with Roz's parents? Does something happen that affects all the Heelers? The answer none of them! This storyline will most likely surprise you, so apprécier! And once again, thanks to Sam and also damatrix (Dan) from the _Blue Forum _for your lovely comments on part 3!  
**Sam** - Roz is dead? You wrote Wayne's reaction really, really well and I loved it. Wayne is a character that doesn't tend to appear in fanfiction much and now you're writing him and writing him well. I'm sure you already know what I'm going to say here - absolutely great work and hope there's more soon.  
**damatrix **- Oooh Roz is dead...Wow this is amazing fic, Poor Wayne you wrote his and Maggie's reaction very intensely! Which is great of course! Well done. I really like how Maggie is supporting him. I really loved how you put the spin of Roz killing herself - that was a shock for me! You wrote that part very well! The aftermath was great, I can't wait to see more.

_**Part 4**_

It had been two months since Roz had gone. I had moved from the watch house into a small but comfortable unit. I felt that life had a fresh start. But others didn't.

They came into my room at dawn and it felt like all the walls were knocked down. They dragged me out of bed and brought me into my living room. The guns were held up at my face; what was I? A criminal? I was a copper for heaven's sake! Why did they need guns and protective gear? Was I going to blow up the apartment block?

"Okay, mate, the secrets are enough! Answer the question; did you have anything to do with the death of Roseanne MacGregor?"

"Roseanne MacGregor? I don't know any Rose…oh wait, you mean Roz…Roz Patter-"  
I felt a gun being shoved deeply into my neck, enough to cause pain.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you want to call her, just stop waffling and answer the question! Did you have anything to do with the death of her???"

I was in deep pain now, I just wanted them to leave me alone and go away.

"NO!!" I screamed out. "NO!! I had NOTHING to do with the death of Roz!" The pleading was showing in my eyes, I was hoping. I just wanted them to leave me alone!

"Well, guess what, buddy, we don't believe you. We want you to come with us, Constable."

And I was dragged away.

_You understand the battles we must go through every day…_

_If you need my strength, you can tell me…_

"Interview between Constable Wayne Patterson and Internal Investigations Detective Inspector George Vance and Detective Senior Constable Peter Sandon commenced 7:01AM."

I was petrified. How could they assume I had something to do with the death of Roz? She committed suicide, and killed her friend in the process as well. The autopsy proved so! Why couldn't I just move on with my life??

"Constable Patterson, we have reason to believe that you had involvement regarding the suicidal death of Roseanne MacGregor. Do you agree to this statement?"

I looked coldly into the black iris' of the Detective Inspector.

"No. No, I had no involvement in the suicidal death of Roz Patterson."

The other detective took over.

"Can you please list your relationship with Ms. MacGregor, Constable Patterson, and can you list the events that were leading up to the death of Ms. MacGregor?"

I looked up to the ceiling, and took a long breath. I still couldn't understand why I was being interrogated. My mind was recklessly searching every little part of my brain, trying to figure out why I was a so-called suspect. I wondered why they were calling my beautiful Roz by her maiden name, and not my name…then it hit me. MacGregor. David and Patricia MacGregor, Roz's parents; they always hated me – had they put me into this?

I looked sharply back at the detectives. I was going to find out the truth one way or another.

"Do David and Patricia MacGregor have anything to do with you guys' dragging me in and interrogating me here today?"

A look of surprise came over the younger detective's face. _I knew it._ In my gut, I had a feeling that Dave and Pat wanted to put some excuse on why their only daughter had killed herself, and to do that, they were going to put the blame on me. My gut feeling told me this is what was happening.

The older detective sharply looked back at me.

"David and Patricia MacGregor have nothing to do with why we are questioning you today, Constable Patterson; now would you care to answer the questions Detective Senior Constable Sandon asked you?"

Sleaze; I knew they were lying. I just had that feeling that told me. They were just trying to cover up.

"If you insist, Detective Inspector – my relationship with Roz Patterson was her husband; she was my wife, well, she's now my late wife, and I'm her widow now."

They scribbled some notes onto their pads of paper.

"And the events leading up to her death?"

I took a long breath in and out. Oh Lord, this would take a while…

"Well, we'd been married about a year when we came to Mt. Thomas, and it was only a few months later that Roz got stressed being a policeman's wife…so, she moved back to Melbourne for a couple of months to live with her parents, but after that, she refused to talk to me and her parents refused to let me talk to her…and things got pretty tough…"

I didn't realize I had stopped midway.

"Yes…?" said one of the detectives.

"Oh, sorry…" I woke up from my daydream and continued on.

"I suppose you could say what happened next was that I got a letter in the mail from her with divorce papers, which only needed my signature."

The detectives scribbled notes onto their pads of paper again.

"Did you sign the papers, Constable Patterson?"

I shook my head fiercely.

"No, I didn't sign the papers; I had them in my possession for about a month, which was then I received a phone call saying Roz had died from suicide…I threw the papers in the bin."

The Detective Senior Constable then leant over and pressed the stop button on the voice recorder.

"This interview temporarily terminated at 7:28AM." They left, leaving me in the room with my head in my hands. What would happen next, I had no idea.

_You're not on your own, whatever you're facing;  
You don't have to face it alone…_


	5. Part 5

**The Best of Friends**

**_Trials and tribulations test a friendship._**

**Author's Note:** Okay dokelies, here is part 5! It's just a tiny tad shorter than other parts I've written, I was trying to figure out how to describe the situation! I hope you still enjoy reading it though! Apprécier, and once again, THANK YOU (!) to Sam, damatrix (Dan) and this time captainfuzz (Mardi) from the _Blue Forum _for your lovely comments on part 4!  
**Sam **- Yeah, that surprised me. But I loved it. You know that I can't wait for more as always.  
**captainfuzz - **Wow Leah! It's great. You don't get to see much of old cast fics these days so it will be interesting to see where you take this one. The last addition was _very_ shocking! You lost me for a while with all the MacGregor business, but then I worked it out and was like "ooooh! Dah Mardi." Keep up the great work, and I'd love to come back and read some more.  
**damatrix **- TWO WORDS: I LOVE IT! (Oops that is three words! LOL!)

_**Part 5**_

"Why are you holding him in there?"

_Mags? What is she doing now!? _I could hear every voice through the thin walls of the Mt. Thomas Police Station. _Good ol' Mags._

"Sorry? I don't think we have to tell you that, Constable," I heard one of the detectives say.

"You don't think so. Crap. I'm sorry, that's crap. His wife committed suicide two months ago, and now you're holding him for that? You should know that the only way a person commits suicide is by killing themselves! It isn't fair, you…you holding him -"

"Mags." I opened the door to the Interview Room and poked my head outside the door. She turned around briskly and looked at me.

"Just leave it, okay," I wearily and tiredly said. Being dragged out of bed at the crack of dawn doesn't really do you any good. But I shouldn't have even poked my head out the door. A finger; a nice long finger of one of the detectives sharply gets pointed at me.

"You, Constable Patterson, will say nothing or do nothing. Now GET BACK IN THAT ROOM!"

Maggie turned sharply back to the detective and looked straight into his eyes.

"Why are you interrogating him like this!? He had NOTHING, NOTHING to do with this! He's already been through enough pain, you should know that! Roz first left him, then she sent him divorce papers…I KNOW the pain he went through, because it was me he came to when he received the news…it was ME he came to when he got the phone call that Roz had killed herself."

_Anytime you're having doubts, you know I will believe…  
_

_On me you can depend,  
We are best friends._

I was just leaning up against the doorframe, trying to comprehend all this. I just wished I could slap the detectives in the face and tell them to get lost. But I knew if I did that I would be taken down to Melbourne for sure. At the moment, I had a chance. But one slip and I could loose my chance. Well, maybe I had lost it, because I hadn't gone back into the room like the detectives told me too. But I wasn't worried about that.

Detective Inspector Vance looked at Maggie with such steal-like eyes that you would've thought lightening would've shot through and targeted her.

"Constable Doyle, if you don't stop arguing with us, I will arrest you for interfering in a police investigation, and don't you even think I am joking about it…I will do it if I have to."

I thought that would put Maggie off, but instead she just stood there.

"Detective, Wayne is my friend, and you are risking his career; and if I have to risk mine, I will."

Vance stood so close to her you'd think he was about to attack her.

"I wouldn't try, young lady, I wouldn't try…"

_Get away from her! Get away from my Maggie! _I was screaming inside. I just wanted to run and pull her away. But I didn't have to. The Boss came marching through the front door.

"What in the WORLD is going on!? Why is an investigation taking place without my permission! And Detective, if you don't move away from my Constable, I will arrest you! So scam! My office, now!"

Maggie stood there, pale as a ghost, just shaking slightly. As soon as the detectives and the Boss had gone into his office, I ran over to her.

"Mags, are you alright?" I asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. I felt her jump slightly. _You idiots, scaring her like that! _I wanted to march into that office and throttle them both!

She turned around and looked into my eyes.

"Oh Wayne, why do they have to do this too you? Why, Wayne?" The tears started rolling down her cheeks. _Oh Maggie, my Maggie…_

"It's alright Mags, it's okay," I said as I wrapped her in a hug.

"Everything will work out…eventually…"

_You'll never have to worry, don't you ever walk in fear,  
'Cause through it all you'll have someone who's always standing near._


End file.
